By Manas Chaudhuri
Between 2004 and 2014, I had the great fortune of meeting, interacting and even sharing the dais with late Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at least on ten occasions. On seven official foreign tours (Pakistan, USA twice, Russia, UK, Brazil and Philippines), I was invited by the Government of India as one of the 25-member media entourage.
As per convention, the Prime Minister is required to address the media team twice—once after embarking and before disembarking. That’s the only time we would come face to face with him.
The Prime Minister’s aircraft is specially crafted to fit the bill. On the upper deck, the PM would have his bedroom, kitchenette, an office and a living room. The forefront of the lower deck is earmarked for all top officers, and the remaining compartments, second one is for media entourage; the third for a crack team of SPG personnel and at the rear end, all the other support staff are seated.
In the media compartment, there’s a protocol. The senior ones occupy the front seats at a hand shaking distance from the PM. I was extremely privileged to be allotted a front seat along with all noted senior Editors. Naturally, he developed a familiarity with my name and face.
His pressers would be only on the mission at hand. Dr Singh always expressed himself in measured tones, seldom going beyond the official line. The rule is that while on foreign tour, the media is debarred from raising national issues.
I recall my first trip to Pakistan in September 2004. He was very enthusiastic about making a paradigm shift in our relationship with Pakistan. But defying his expectations, the then President, Parvez Musharaff refused to play ball. The K- Word remained a stumbling block. Dr Singh returned visibly disappointed. His face betrayed his feelings at the media interaction before disembarking in Delhi. Being an eternal optimist, he pinned his hopes on the “good sense” of Pakistan for the elusive thaw.
In the White House while dealing with George Bush on the nuclear deal, Dr Singh exhibited patience and tenacity. Overcoming stiff US reservations and after some tough prolonged negotiations, he managed to strike a deal. A beaming Dr Singh addressed a press conference for the waiting media. The US media, those days, didn’t show much interest in him or India. His tour didn’t find any mention in the mainstream media.
At Cebu in the Philippines, where he addressed the ASEAN countries, he showed immense stamina of holding crucial parleys with different leaders for safeguarding India’s own and member countries’ mutual interests.
With visible signs of fatigue due to lack of sleep and also paucity of time for personal comfort, when a media person asked him if he had rested well, he quipped in Hindi: “Sher bhi kabhi dant saaf karta hai?” ( Does a tiger ever brush his teeth?).
Well, Dr Singh never roared like a tiger but he was a lion hearted visionary, enough to initiate Economic Liberalisation—a step that is paying dividends today.
When Dr Manmohan Singh came to Guwahati to address the Diamond Jubilee of The Shillong Times, I had my first opportunity to share with him the dais, and interact with him on a one on one to brief him on matters raised by him.
It was after hearing my speech on the role of the ST since 1945 in espousing the aspirations of the vulnerable fringe tribes, that the PM was highly impressed and made a mention of it in his address.
It was after this function that he recommended my name for the Padma Award. (By the way, the PM can recommend six names every year).
In 2005, we met again at Rashtrapati Bhavan at the Padma award presentation ceremony. Later in the evening we met again at the PM’s official residence for the customary tea and photo session with the awardees hosted by him. I recall with amazement how Dr Manmohan Singh, ignoring his Constitutional status, played the perfect host shuffling from one table to another in the lawns of 10 JanPath, exchanging pleasantries with almost everyone.
In 2008, he was in Shillong to address the All India Science Congress at NEHU. Whenever the PM is on a State visit, it is part of protocol for the State Cabinet to meet the PM. At the time I was the Education Minister and the entire cabinet waited for him at the NEHU campus. He entered the designated room without any aide. I could see delight in his eyes when found me in the most unlikely place! Renewing our contact Dr Singh turned to me and said, “So, you have become a minister” and enquired about my portfolios. He encouraged me by saying ” Serve the State well”.
As I look back, in my view Dr Singh was a scholarly person who believed in plain living and high thinking. Humility and sobriety are two other qualities that define Dr Singh. Imagine, a Sardar sticking to one familiar blue turban all his life! At one point in time, some bureaucrats had pleaded with him to take care of his sartorial needs and suggested he change the colour of his turbans. Dr Singh not only turned down that suggestion but also told them that he should be judged by his actions and not by the dress or the colour of his turban.
His sense of hospitality knew no bounds. On a flight to New York, we had an overnight stop-over at Frankfurt. We were at a loose end as the PM would relax in the hotel with no official engagement. Before deplaning, he wanted to know if we had any plans for the evening. When told that we had no plan, he promptly instructed senior MEA officials to take good care of us. I must admit that the evening was well spent at Heidelberg with continental cuisine washed down with choicest German beer (not at government expense of course!).
Incidentally, the media entourage is allowed a free air passage in the PM’s aircraft, but all other expenses like boarding and lodging are personal.
In 2009, I forwarded copy of the printed booklet that I had published furnishing the full financial accounts of the MLA Funds allotted to me. To my utter delight, I received a prompt D.O. letter from the PM eulogizing the need for transparency and accountability of our elected representatives. He commended that everybody should emulate the same.
In fine, personally speaking, the decade from 2004 to 2014 was the most eventful, if not the best, in my life. What can be more notable than getting an opportunity to come personally close to the PM of the country. Dr Singh was a venerable soul, an acknowledged statesman who had no airs about himself, always treated everyone with due respect and maintained the dignity and sobriety of the high offices he held.
In his death the nation has lost a rare gem and me a great patriarch who showered his generous blessings on a nondescript lesser mortal like me.
He may have become history today but history will remember him as long as India lives.
Long live Dr Manmohan Singh!